Gaulding Hopes to be Grandfathered in at Martinsville with a Clock

Martinsville (Va.) Speedway is a track that divides most drivers. Many enjoy racing at the flat, paperclip-shaped half-mile track, while others have never developed a fondness for it. What every driver can agree on is wanting to win the prestigious Martinsville grandfather clock, one of the most unique trophies in NASCAR. The majority of 17-year-olds would not give much thought to a grandfather clock, but Gray Gaulding certainly does. Making his fourth start at Martinsville in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) in the Kroger 200, the Virginia native would treasure a clock of his own.

In Gaulding's three previous races at Martinsville, he has an average starting position of 9.7 and an average finish of 16.7, his best finish of 14th coming in last year's fall event. He has completed 99.9 percent of the laps there (713 of 714), which is an impressive statistic considering the intense racing typical at Martinsville.

Gaulding will be making his fourth NCWTS start this season, his third for Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM), in the No. 54 Krispy Kreme Tundra. His best result in 2015 came last month at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, where he finished the race in 10th place with the same Tundra he is racing this weekend. KBM-14 has 11 starts since 2011, three of which were at Martinsville. Its' best Martinsville finish came in last year's fall race when Erik Jones drove it from a 15th-place starting position up to a fourth-place finish.

Since this year's race happens to fall on Halloween, most drivers will be hoping for treats rather than tricks from the Virginia short track. The best treat Gaulding could receive will not fit in a candy bag - a grandfather clock of his own.